how does Shakespeare introduce Beatrice and Benedick
How does Shakespeare introduce Benedick and Beatrice?
Throughout the play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice is rather unusual. They begin by deceiving themselves, making them think that they have no feelings for each other, the wage a ‘merry war’ against each other, throwing witty remarks and insults at each other. When Benedick is first mentioned in the play, Act 1 scene 1, Beatrice seems to automatically begin using witty insults, being an attack of witty remarks, the audience can clearly see, at this point, that she is lying to herself about her feelings for Benedick, she pokes fun at Benedick when she refers to Benedick challenging cupid, it is related to his self image as ‘loved of all ladies’ she is trying to say that he is stupid and that this statement is far from the truth, this link to cupid could perhaps be a clue to the audience of the love between Benedick and Beatrice to come in the future. When Benedick first enters and Beatrice starts their conversation with the harsh remark; ‘I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you’ we as the audience then notice how similar the pair are when Benedick replies swiftly and just as wittingly with; ‘What, my dear Lady Disdain, are you yet living?’ he uses this oxymoron to insult her. They continue to attack each other, using the others words in extended metaphors; from line 94 – 107 they are both talking about the birds and beasts, using each other’s insults against them. There is a huge amount of sexual conflict between the two characters, Benedick says he is ‘loved of all ladies, only you excepted’ this shows that he is proud of rejecting the women that love him, and his is proud of the fact that they did love him, however he is announcing that he has an impenetrable heart and that he is proud that none of these women have affected him. It also opens up the past between him and Beatrice; he is saying that she is the only
Throughout the play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice is rather unusual. They begin by deceiving themselves, making them think that they have no feelings for each other, the wage a ‘merry war’ against each other, throwing witty remarks and insults at each other. When Benedick is first mentioned in the play, Act 1 scene 1, Beatrice seems to automatically begin using witty insults, being an attack of witty remarks, the audience can clearly see, at this point, that she is lying to herself about her feelings for Benedick, she pokes fun at Benedick when she refers to Benedick challenging cupid, it is related to his self image as ‘loved of all ladies’ she is trying to say that he is stupid and that this statement is far from the truth, this link to cupid could perhaps be a clue to the audience of the love between Benedick and Beatrice to come in the future. When Benedick first enters and Beatrice starts their conversation with the harsh remark; ‘I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you’ we as the audience then notice how similar the pair are when Benedick replies swiftly and just as wittingly with; ‘What, my dear Lady Disdain, are you yet living?’ he uses this oxymoron to insult her. They continue to attack each other, using the others words in extended metaphors; from line 94 – 107 they are both talking about the birds and beasts, using each other’s insults against them. There is a huge amount of sexual conflict between the two characters, Benedick says he is ‘loved of all ladies, only you excepted’ this shows that he is proud of rejecting the women that love him, and his is proud of the fact that they did love him, however he is announcing that he has an impenetrable heart and that he is proud that none of these women have affected him. It also opens up the past between him and Beatrice; he is saying that she is the only